Your gym pass has been fermenting in the fruit bowl for a month, right next to that unopened sourdough starter and the journal with two full pages, then nothing. You've got the ingredients for a healthier life scattered across your counter, but no recipe to bring them together. Even with the best intentions across health, fitness, mindfulness, and creative pursuits, when our efforts are scattered, progress stalls and results can be hazy.
Like a chef without mise en place (that careful preparation and arrangement of ingredients before cooking begins) we're frantically reaching for random ingredients, like whatever new trend we saw on TikTok yesterday instead of creating something nourishing. There is a better way to work on what matters, and it has less to do with buying new tools or ingredients than with helping the ones you already have work better together.
Why scattered efforts sputter
Imagine trying to prepare a five-course meal by simultaneously chopping, sautéing, baking, and plating everything all at once. You'd burn the sauce while the vegetables go limp. Similarly, when we try to change too many behaviours at once, we face practical constraints (like limited time and willpower) and mental overload from switching focus. The reality is we don’t have infinite time, energy, or attention. When we chase too many goals at once without coordination, our limits can show up, fast.
You might think detailed planning would help juggle multiple goals. After all, professional chefs manage complex services with precise timing. But researchers Amy Dalton and Steven Spiller have shown that those 'when, where, and how' plans (implementation intentions) that work brilliantly for a single goal start to fail when we pile on too many goals at once.
More isn’t always better when it comes to self-improvement efforts, especially not if “more” means an uncoordinated scattershot approach.
So instead of trying to do everything at once, which can become overwhelming, start by moving through things piece by piece. Look at your wellness like a recipe. A recipe has steps to achieve a final product. So does wellness.
Plan what you’ll do, then do it
Just as chefs prep their stations before service begins, an effective approach to wellness starts with thoughtful preparation.
This means creating 'if-then' activity cards for your habits:
'If I’ve just finished my morning coffee, then I do 20 minutes of meditation on the couch.'
'If I finish lunch, then I take a 10-minute walk outside.'
Without a strategy, we're just throwing ingredients at the wall to see what sticks, usually ending up with more mess than meal. But with this simple strategy, by linking specific situations with specific action (e.g., "If X happens, then I will do Y"), we increase the likelihood of achieving our goals.
Research shows that these devices work best when the cues (e.g., finishing lunch) have a strong association with the intended response (e.g., going for a walk outside). You can strengthen that association, and thus make them more effective, by repeatedly pairing the cue with the response.
Pro tip: Giving yourself a small reward when you follow through on these intentions can help solidify the association faster.
Sequencing and synergy
Before you start, it can be helpful to zoom out and consider the bigger picture, the overarching “why” that ties your efforts together (e.g., managing stress better, or feeling more energetic day-to-day).
If you were cooking dinner, you’d want to first consider the finished dish that you are preparing, right? How will each of the ingredients contribute to the final outcome?
Some psychology researchers suggest that linking smaller goals to a meaningful larger goal (e.g., understanding how they work together) can help people to pursue long-term goals more successfully compared to either smaller or larger goals alone. This kind of integrated planning contrasts sharply with the fragmented approach of doing a bit of everything without rhyme or reason.
Instead of viewing exercise, mindfulness practice, creative hobbies, and social activities as an unrelated pile of activities, think of them as interconnected parts of your bigger picture goal. With the right combinations, sequencing, and plan, they can enhance each other.
Just as a squeeze of lemon brightens a rich sauce and pinch of salt can actually amplify the sweetness in a dessert, your wellness practices can be combined to reinforce each other. For example, a recent systematic review of 35 studies found that combining physical exercise with mindfulness techniques was not only effective at reducing depression, anxiety, and stress compared to control groups, but might also yield greater improvements in mental health and well-being than either approach alone. In practice, this means that a well-rounded wellness strategy, one that includes, say, exercise and meditation and creative outlets, could amplify your results
There is also synergy when you combine the right ingredients, in the right order. For example, research shows a small but reliable boost to executive processes like working memory in the window right after a single bout of physical activity. If you place journaling, creative writing or another task requiring some brain power after brief cardio, you can line up your schedule with your biology. Like how marinating meat before - but not after - grilling it creates deeper flavour.
But remember, it’s not necessary to include every new ingredient on day one.
Some approaches stagger changes (e.g., first establish a consistent workout routine, then add a meditation practice), others try simultaneous changes. Researchers have compared simultaneous vs. sequential multiple behaviour interventions, and so far neither clearly outranks the other for effectiveness. What matters is that you have a clear structure to integrate the pieces.
The power of reflection and check-ins
Once you've assembled your ingredients and started cooking, how do you know if the dish is coming together? This is where tasting comes in. For health and wellness, this is why measurement and reflection is key.
When we have a lot of moving parts, it’s easy to lose track of progress in each. Science strongly supports the value of monitoring your progress across your various wellness efforts. A meta-analysis of 138 experiments involving nearly 20,000 people found that prompting people to regularly monitor their goal progress significantly increased the likelihood of success, compared to not monitoring progress.
Essentially, what gets measured gets improved.
Seeing your actions quantified (miles run this week, meditation minutes, pages written, etc.) provides concrete evidence of progress across each domain of wellness. And if one area is lagging – say you notice you’ve neglected creative hobbies for a couple of weeks – these check-ins allow you to course-correct intentionally. Think of it as adjusting the seasoning as you cook, not just hoping it tastes good at the end.
Reflection is important too. It’s not just about numeric tracking; it’s about pausing to assess how the mix of activities is affecting you and where adjustments are needed. For example, setting aside time to assess how different activities affect your mood, stress, and energy levels, as well as how much you actually enjoyed doing them, can illuminate the connections between your efforts and outcomes.
Over time, you can notice patterns and gains that might not be obvious day-to-day. Perhaps you realise that on weeks when you balanced exercise, socialising, and alone time, you felt significantly happier. Such insights can reinforce the value of an integrated approach and highlight measurable progress in subjective areas like mood, stress, or confidence.
Another benefit of measuring progress and reflecting across domains is that it encourages a holistic definition of success. Instead of fixating on one metric, you track a spectrum of indicators that matter to your well-being: fitness, mental health, creativity, relationships, etc. This guards against the trap of neglecting one aspect of wellness for another.
For instance, if you only measure your running mileage, you might improve physically but overlook burnout or declining social life. Regular reflection ensures your diverse activities remain aligned and that you’re progressing on multiple fronts in a balanced way.
Importantly, measuring progress isn’t about perfection or harsh self-judgment. It’s a tool for feedback and adjustment. Just as chefs constantly taste and adjust, checking temperature, seasoning, and texture, you need multiple checkpoints for your wellness. By checking in on each aspect of your wellness plan, for example, logging your activities, your mood, and your energy levels, you can create awareness and accountability that drive improvement.
Moving toward a coherent wellness strategy
The difference between a memorable meal and a forgettable one isn't usually about having exotic ingredients. It's about how thoughtfully those ingredients are combined, prepared, and presented. The same is true for wellness. You likely already have most of what you need; you just need to organise your kitchen.
Instead of overcommitting to every new health fad at once, choose a few complementary practices and let them support each other. Maybe that means syncing your gym routine with a mindfulness cooldown, or going for a walk before you journal.
Instead of random spurts of activity, adopt a structured, strategic plan. This means applying the same intentional planning to your personal well-being that we routinely apply to projects at work or finances.
And instead of guessing whether it’s working, keep track of your progress and adjust as needed. This means periodically stepping back to reflect on how you’re doing across the board, rather than fixating on one outcome.
A coordinated strategy beats scattered efforts, and the payoff is a healthier, happier life that actually reflects all the energy you’re putting in.
Stop collecting hobbies. Start building a game plan.
Here's what this looks like in practice: Instead of downloading your sixth meditation app or signing up for another trendy cardio club, think about what matters and line up the activities that will help you progress towards that goal.
Maybe it's 'feeling more energised' or 'keeping your cool'. Choose 2-3 activities that support what matters (perhaps cardio + meditation, or journaling + yoga). Schedule them in sequence, like courses in a meal. Give it a couple weeks, check-in, reflect, and make adjustments as you learn what works and what doesn’t.
If organising your own strategy feels overwhelming, Bearmore’s Game Plans feature is built to help. Game Plans assist you in building a routine around your goals, schedule, interests, and preferred accountability style. The idea mirrors what the evidence supports: a clear roadmap, gentle progress monitoring, and regular opportunities to reset. It adapts as you move through each cycle, and the quick check‑ins focus on what matters for your plan, highlighting what is going well and what might need to change. The feature acts like a sous chef, helping you prep, coordinate, and adjust to taste. You can learn more about Game Plans here.
